


All That Glitters

by actualkoschei



Series: Fanfic Inktober 2019 [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Anxiety, F/M, Friendship, Ring shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-10 16:47:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20855030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualkoschei/pseuds/actualkoschei
Summary: Varric wants to romance Cassandra right. He takes Cole and Hawke to go ring shopping. (Inktober day one, prompt "ring")





	All That Glitters

The jewelry markets of Val  Royeaux glittered like a captive collection of stars. A veritable feast of gemstones and precious metals lay before  Varric’s dwarven eyes. Cole was already gone, running his fingers over a shelf full of beaten gold pendants, and  Varric questioned his choice to bring him. Maybe he wouldn’t be the most helpful company. Then again, the kid’s insights could come in handy, at a time like this. Especially at a time like this. 

Varric’s palms were sweaty, although he wouldn’t admit it if anyone asked. Or felt it. Maybe he would need to avoid holding hands for the immediate future. Or shaking them, which might be harder.

Across the  marketplace , he caught sight of a shimmer of uncovered red-gold hair. A smile spread across his face. “Hawke!”

“ Varric !” Everett Hawke threw his arms wide, and grinned. He looked out of place in Val  Royeaux , fresh from the wilderness, with patched clothing and rough stubble, and no mask covering his sunburnt, Ferelden face. “What did you want to meet me here for, of all places? And who’s that with you?” He jerked his head in Cole’s direction. 

“Ah, this is Cole. He’s a good kid. Inquisition. He’s here to help us.”

“Help us with  _ what _ , exactly?”

Cole shifted beside Varric, shuffling his feet. “Glittering, golden, silk behind steel. She smiles in the dark, and he watches her.”

“That’ll be enough, Cole.”  Varric sighed, and rubbed a hand across his face. “I’m looking for a wedding ring.”

Hawke’s face lit up, and he couldn’t hold back a snort of laughter. “You? For who, exactly? That Seeker of yours?”

“Well, if you must know... yes , actually, it is for her.”

“Oh, that’s precious! Fallen in love with the woman they sent to arrest you!”

“You’re not one to talk about falling for the wrong people, Hawke! You’ve got no place to fuss about it, just help me pick out a ring, alright?”

Hawke joined Varric, walking slowly from stall to stall around the market. “Why didn’t you just bring her with you? She’d know her own taste better than me, or that kid, what’s-his-name.”

“His name is Cole. And I could have brought her, but...”  Varric hesitated a moment. “I wanted to do this  _ right _ . You know, the traditional way. And that means, the ring should be a surprise.”

“ Andraste , you really are in love.” Hawke mused, reaching long, freckled fingers out for a ring from the nearest table, and exchanging dirty looks with the merchant, who did not seem to want him to touch. “What about this one? She like blue?” He held up a silver ring with several dark blue chips of sapphire shining in it.

“The blue isn’t bad, but I think she’d rather have gold, you know?”

“Or you’d rather she  have gold. Maybe some stereotypes about dwarves are true, you know.” He laughed, though, lightening any blow that might have been in the words.

Varric rolled his eyes. “Sure. Yes. That’s exactly it.”

“It looks better with her skin.” Cole piped up, softly, from where he had drifted a few stalls away. “Or she thinks so. I told him.”

Hawke made a face in his direction, confused. “I suppose that’s a good enough reason.” He ran his fingers absently over the velvet cover draped over the nearest table. “Hmm.” He snatched up a bracelet made of dark golden worked metal. “You think Anders would like this?”

Varric barely looked at it. “Definitely Blondie’s taste. Can we focus?”

Cassandra paced the walls of  Skyhold , glaring at anyone who looked as if they might dare to suggest that she, was, in fact, pacing. She was not nervous, she was  _ not _ . It was simply – unlike  Varric to be gone for so long with no explanation. Or none that anyone would tell her, at least. There was nothing comforting about the faint smirk on Trevelyan’s face when she had asked him if he knew where the dwarf had gone. 

A scattered pile of books and papers littered her desk, lying untidied since  Varric had left nearly a week ago. Somehow, she just could not find the motivation to settle herself and work, or even clean. The clutter around her only seemed to make the clutter inside her mind worse. She had begun to find the inside of her office unbearable. 

Nor would she admit that she had been sleeping badly. Of course,  Varric’s absence would not have left her bed feeling cold and empty, as that would imply that she had become accustomed to having him there.

She sighed, settling herself down on a half-broken stone step, and put her face in her hands. Taking a moment to soak up the warm feel of the sunshine, she almost missed the sound of footsteps approaching him. 

“Cassandra?”

She startled when she heard his  voice, and would not even try to pretend she had not jumped all over. “Varric! Where did you go? You didn’t even tell me...”

“Shh.” He reached out and put a calloused finger against her lips. “There was a reason why I didn’t tell you, alright? Now just sit there for a moment...”

Her heart pounded against her collarbone, and she half-rose to her feet when  Varric dropped to his knees in front of her and started rummaging in his pockets. “Varric? What are you...”

“Shh!” He told her again, more sharply. “Cassandra. I wanted to ask you.” He took a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”


End file.
